Cyberbullying is a type of bullying that involves the use of technology to threaten, harass, embarrass or target a person which causes long-term emotional , social and even psychological effects.

According to kidshealth.org, cyberbullying by it’s definition only occurs among young people .When an adult is involved, it may meet the definition of cyber-harassment or cyberstalking, a crime that can have legal consequences and involve jail time.

Unlike traditional bullying, cyberbullying can happen anytime and anywhere as long as you have access to a phone, computer or any device. The fact that it can happen 24/7 means a lot because it can cause trauma to a person. A target person can feel blasted nonstop and there is no escape.

WHERE CAN IT HAPPEN?

According to U.S. Department of Health and Human Services ,the most common places on your gadgets where cyberbullying occurs are :

  • Social Media, such as Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, and Twitter
  • SMS (Short Message Service) also known as Text
  • Message sent through devices
  • Instant Message (via devices, email provider services, apps, and social media messaging features)
  • Email

IMPACT OF CYBERBULLYING

Young or not ,as long as you’re a cyberbully ,you’ll face serious legal consequences. Here are the compiled reasons as to why cyberbullying must be taken seriously:

Cyberbullying can result in serious emotional problems for targets, including anxiety, low self-esteem, depression (Hinduja & Patchin, 2015 ), stress, and suicide ideation, (Kowalski, Giumetti, Schroeder, & Lattanner, 2014 ).

Those who are cyberbullied can feel more uncontrollability than those facing traditional bullying, because they have less control over who views the bullying and less ability to make the bullying stop. There can also be more permanence with cyberbullying compared to traditional bullying: nearly everything on the Internet is available to everyone, everywhere. It can be challenging to erase information once it goes on the Internet (Pearson, Andersson, & Porath, 2005 ).

Cyberbullies are also affected. Here are the impacts of cyberbullying to cyberbullies:

Those who cyberbully are more likely to have anxiety, depression, less life satisfaction, less self-esteem, and face drug and alcohol abuse (Kowalski, Giumetti, Schroeder, & Lattanner, 2014 ).

Both cyberbullies and targets of cyberbullying report less school satisfaction and achievement (Bernan & Li, 2007 ).

PREVENTION

There are many ways to prevent cyberbullying however ,one must have courage and bravery to protect others and oneself against cyberbullying. With the unique characteristics of cyberbullying, it can be harder for parents and adults to manage it. Here are some ways to prevent the occurrence of cyberbullying:

  • Effective approaches to address cyberbullying requires effort from children, parents, schools, law enforcement, social media companies, and the community (Hinduja & Patchin, 2014 ).
  • Improving social networking safety skills can help prevent cyberbullying, such as understanding how cyberbullying can cause harm, making sure personal information is not available on social media, keeping social media accounts private, not “friending” people they do not know, and general efficacy (Wölfer, Schultze-Krumbholz, Zagorscak, Jäkel, Göbel, & Scheithauer, 2013 )
  • The most common strategies reported by youth to cope with cyberbullying were passive, such as blocking the sender, ignoring or avoiding messages, and protecting personal information. Those who are cyberbullied are most likely to tell a friend about the incident. When asked what coping strategies those who were previously cyberbullied would encourage to someone being cyberbullied include blocking the sender, ignoring the messages, and telling someone, such as a friend. Getting retaliation was the least recommended strategy (Hamm, Newton, & Chisholm, 2015 )..

If you notice warning signs that a child may be involved in cyberbullying, take steps. Cyberbullying is a form of bullying, and adults should take the same approach to address it. Because cyberbullying happens online, responding to it requires different approaches.

  • You Must Document – Keep a record of what is happening and where. Take screenshots of harmful posts or content if possible. Most laws and policies note that bullying is a repeated behavior, so records help to document it.
  • Report – Most social media platforms and schools have clear policies and reporting processes. If a classmate is cyberbullying, report it the school. You can also contact app or social media platforms to report offensive content and have it removed. If a child has received physical threats, or if a potential crime or illegal behavior is occurring, report it to the police.
  • Support – Peers, mentors, and trusted adults can sometimes intervene publicly to positively influence a situation where negative or hurtful content posts about a child. Public Intervention can include posting positive comments about the person targeted with bullying to try to shift the conversation in a positive direction. It can also help to reach out to the child who is bullying and the target of the bullying to express your concern. If possible, try to determine if more professional support is needed for those involved, such as speaking with a guidance counselor or mental health professional. 

 Cyberbullying can happen anonymously, can have a larger audience and often easier to be cruel than traditional bullying because of the great distance of the person bullied and the target. It could happen accidentally or intentionally But whatever the case is, it must be taken seriously. Bullying in any form can be dangerous and cyberbullying

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